Lamp-cord reel.



B. P. MILLER;

LA'MP CORD REEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.14, 1910.

Patented May 28, 1912.

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B. F. MILLER. LAMP CORD REEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1910.

Patented May 28, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- @my w BENJAMIN F. MILLER; F` ULYSSES, lIDAH.

LAMP-CORD REEL.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application Afiled. September 14, 1910. Serial No. 532,040.

o all whom t may concern: y

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MILLER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-

'e provision'of a novel ratchet mechanism and siding at Ulysses, in thecount-y of Lemhi and State of l`Idaho, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Lamp-Cord Reels,

of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to lamp cordreels and one of the principalobjects of the invention is the provision of a device of this characterwherein the entire lampA cord is wound upon the reel and receives itscurrent through collector rings upon the reel which is carried by thesupporting boX of frame.

Arfurther object of the invention is the provision of a spring operatedreel whose normal tendency is to wind up the lamp cord and means wherebythe tension of the spring maybe increased or decreased as desiredwithout operating the reel. u

Afurther object of the invention is the a triptherefor so that the drummay be absolutely under the control of the operator and be held at' alltimes in properly adjustedposition. y

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means-carried by the reel supporting .frame for. preventing friction uponthecord and-the consequent wear of the insulationy thereon.

I y Further objects of the invention will .ape

pear as the following specific description is read in eonnecti'on'withthe accompanying drawings which form a part fof this application, and inwhich: y

A Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section on the line 3-3 of Fig.A2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 44 of Fig. 2. y

Referring more particularly to the drawings 1 represents the reelsupport-ing frame which comprises a singleA piece of material formingthe front plate 2, the top plate 3 and the rear plate 4. This frame 1sconnected at its bottom by a plurality of brackets 5 arranged at eachcorner 'of the top and bottom plates and by a series 'of rollers 6 whichprevent friction upon the lamp cord as will hereinafter be described.The front plate 2 is provided with a central aperture 7 and bridgedacross thefront of this aperture is a bearing bracket or yoke 8 in whichthe forward end of the reel shaft 9 is journaled. Secured to the rearplate 4 and spaced therefrom by sleeves 10 is a rear casing 11 in whichthe rear end of the `sha-ft 9 is, journaled.

` The reel or drum which supports the lamp cord 12 is shown at 13 and ispreferably constructed of wood' or other suitable insulating materialand is provided with a squared' socket 14 in the rear end thereof toreceive the squared portion 15 of t-he shaft ,by which these parts arelocked together. The forward end of the shaft is .p threaded and mountedupon the threaded portion is aset nut,16 which normally holds the drumin position with the squared portion 15, of t-he shaft 9 in the socket14. This causes the drum or reel to rotate with the shaft when the reelis wound up and the shaft to rotate with the reel when the co'rdfi'sunwound therefrom. Keyed to the squared portion 15 of the shaft is atoothed pinion 17 which meshes with the gear 18 carried upon ythe spring19 which .is mounted lwithin a supporting bracket 2O carried by the rearplate 4, withinthe casing -11. When the reel is unwound, the pinion 17acts uponithe gear Patented May 28,1912. l

18 to wind up the spring and when ,the

ratchet mechanism to be hereinafter described is released, the spring 19will act upon the shaft 9 through the gears 17 and 18 to Wind up thereel. said nut 16, and forcing the drum forwardly so as to release thesquared portion 15 of the shaft from the squared socket, the shaft 9 maybe rotated independently of the'drum rand thus the vtension of thespring 19 may be either increased or decreased as desired.

`To accomplish this, 'a winged nut 21 is secured to the front end of theshaft 9.

Keyed to the shaft 9 between the rear portion of the casing 11 and thesupporting bracket 20 is a ratchet wheel 22 having sepa-` rate ratchetsurfaces 23 and 24 which are relatively movable the latter of which isof considerably smaller circumference than the former. The ratchetsurface 23 is adapted to be engaged Vby a locking pawl 25 slidablymounted in the casing 26 secured to the rear plate of the casin 11. Thispawl carries a projecting stud 2 which operates in a slot 28 in thecasing 26 and pivotally supports a releasing pawl 29 which is adapted toengage the ratchet surface`24 and is held in By loosening the positionand prevented from disengagement with said ratchet surface by a bracket30 which extends across the sameand across the casing 26. When one oftheteeth in the ratchet surface Q3 engages the locking pawl ,25 the drum isprevented from Winding up and by giving a slight pull upon the lamp cordand releasing the tooth from the locking pawl 25 and permitting thereleasing pawl 29 to engage a tooth in the ratchet surface 24 and thenreleasing the tension of the 'be kept out of operative engagement with4the teeth on the ratchet surface 23, the lower end of the releasingpawl 29 is beveled as shown at 31 so as to permit the teeth to ride idlypast the same When it is in vertical position. I provide astop a toprevent the pawl or dog 29 from moving'beyond the perpendicular towardthe left. The pawl 29 is provided with arecess Z) which enables it i toslip up and down more freely.

Mounted upon the top of the plate 1 is a suitable rosette 32 Which maybe connected to a ceiling socket and which has the feed leads 33extending therefrom to the terminal posts 34 Which are mounted upon theporcelain insulators 35 carried by the front plate. Electricallyconnected to the terminal posts 34 by means of contact strips 36 arebrush springs 37 which bear upon suitable collector rings 38 carried bythe reel 13 and connected to the cord l2 by binding posts 39. This formof supporting the frame and connecting the current to. the reel may bedispensed with and the frame secured to the ceiling or any suitablesupport by fastening devices which pass through lateral ears 40 formedupon the frame. In this instance the rosettes would be dispensed withand t-he leadwires 33 would be connected thereafter with the supplyWires instead of being connected through a rosette or ceiling socket.

by the other face of the ratchet to hold the locking means ininoperative position.

2. In'combination, a spring rotated shaft, a double face ratchetthereon, a slidably mounted locking paWl for holding the ratchet againstrotation by the spring, and means pivoted on the pavyl and engaged byone face of the ratchet to hold the paWl out of operative positiontogether with a reel on the shaft.

3. In combination, a spring rotated shaft, a double ratchet carriedbysaid shaft, a slidably mounted locking paWl adapted to engage one faceof the ratchet to lock the shaft against rotation by the spring, and atripping pawl pivoted to the locking pawl and adapted to engage theother face of the ratchet to raise and hold the locking paWl out ofoperative engagement with the ratchet together with a reel on the shaft.

4. In combination, a spring rotated shaft, a double face ratchet Wheelthereon, aflocking paWl to engage one face of the ratchet to hold theratchet against rotation by the spring, and a beveled tripping pawlcarried by the locking pawl and engaged by the other face of the ratchetWheel to tripthe locking paWl out of engagement with the ratchet Wheel,the beveled portion of the tripping paWl causing the same to be idlyengaged bythe other face of the ratchet Wheel after being operated toraise the locking paWl together with a reel on the shaft.

In testimony whereof I aiiX my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

BENJAMIN E. MILLER.

Witnesses:

GEO. Gr. MILLER, SARAH W. BoYLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, lay-addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

